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Three Women
Audible Audiobook
– Unabridged
鶹
Number one New York Times best seller
Number one Sunday Times best seller
Number one Indie Next pick
Named a Best Book of the Year:
- The Washington Post
- NPR
- The Atlantic
- New York Public Library
- Vanity Fair
- PBS
- Time
- Economist
- Entertainment Weekly
- Financial Times
- Shelf Awareness
- Guardian
- Sunday Times
- BBC
- Esquire
- Good Housekeeping
- Elle
- Real Simple
- And more than 20 additional outlets
“Staggeringly intimate...Taddeo spent eight years reporting this groundbreaking book.” (Entertainment Weekly)
“A breathtaking and important book.... What a fine thing it is to be enthralled by another writer’s sentences. To be stunned by her intellect and heart.” (Cheryl Strayed)
“Extraordinary.... This is a nonfiction literary masterpiece.... I can't remember the last time a book affected me as profoundly as Three Women.” (Elizabeth Gilbert)
“A revolutionary look at women's desire, this feat of journalism reveals three women who are carnal, brave, and beautifully flawed.” (People, Book of the Week)
A riveting true story about the sex lives of three real American women, based on nearly a decade of reporting.
Lina, a young mother in suburban Indiana whose marriage has lost its passion, reconnects with an old flame through social media and embarks on an affair that quickly becomes all-consuming. Maggie, a 17-year-old high school student in North Dakota, allegedly engages in a relationship with her married English teacher; the ensuing criminal trial turns their quiet community upside down. Sloane, a successful restaurant owner in an exclusive enclave of the Northeast, is happily married to a man who likes to watch her have sex with other men and women.
Hailed as “a dazzling achievement” (Los Angeles Times) and “a riveting page-turner that explores desire, heartbreak, and infatuation in all its messy, complicated nuance” (The Washington Post), Lisa Taddeo’s Three Women has captivated audiences, booksellers, and critics - and topped best seller lists - worldwide. Based on eight years of immersive research, it is “an astonishing work of literary reportage” (The Atlantic) that introduces us to three unforgettable women - and one remarkable writer - whose experiences remind us that we are not alone.
- Listening Length11 hours and 24 minutes
- Audible release dateJuly 9 2019
- LanguageEnglish
- ASINB07NDZSSDC
- VersionUnabridged
- Program TypeAudiobook
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Product details
Listening Length | 11 hours and 24 minutes |
---|---|
Author | Lisa Taddeo |
Narrator | Tara Lynne Barr, Marin Ireland, Mena Suvari, Lisa Taddeo |
Audible.ca Release Date | July 09 2019 |
Publisher | Simon & Schuster Audio |
Program Type | Audiobook |
Version | Unabridged |
Language | English |
ASIN | B07NDZSSDC |
鶹 Rank |
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Customers find the content compelling, engaging, and wonderful. They also appreciate the writing style, describing it as clear, thoughtful, and true to life.
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Customers find the content interesting, compelling, and engaging. They say the stories are wonderful and bundled up in one book. Readers also say the book opens their eyes to different kinds of emotions.
"Great read!" Read more
"Great book!" Read more
"True to life, engaging, and a page turner. Honest, raw, real...." Read more
"Great story line. I really enjoyed this read. Wonderful stories bundled up in one book.thank u" Read more
Customers find the writing style beautiful, thoughtful, and true to life. They also say it opens their eyes to different kinds of emotions.
"True to life, engaging, and a page turner. Honest, raw, real...." Read more
"...Well written. Little confusing at times jumping back from character to character. Had to refer back several times. Took me a while to get through it." Read more
"...you, makes you think/feel so many things and is so clearly and beautifully written." Read more
"Absolutely breathtaking!" Read more
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Top reviews from Canada
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- Reviewed in Canada on May 30, 2021Verified PurchaseTrue to life, engaging, and a page turner. Honest, raw, real. Made me think long and hard about life, pain, joy, needs, love and finding ones way through it all.
- Reviewed in Canada on December 23, 2024Verified PurchaseA gift. New, in perfect condition.
- Reviewed in Canada on February 18, 2020Verified PurchaseDid not like how the stories bounced between each other. Wish they had one person at a time to make it less confusing.
- Reviewed in Canada on January 17, 2020Verified PurchaseGreat story line. I really enjoyed this read. Wonderful stories bundled up in one book.thank u
- Reviewed in Canada on January 10, 2021Verified PurchaseI haven't started the book yet but the product came in perfect condition, looking brand new, and ready to be read :)
- Reviewed in Canada on March 24, 2021Lisa Taddeo- Three Women
26th book read in 2021
I purchased this book used as two people on Goodreads strongly suggested I read this book.
This is the first book I read by Lisa
This a different type of book then I normally read this book is none fiction
This book was published in 2018 in paperback and that's the version I read.
This book is worthy of the nomination it received on Goodreads.
t thrills us and torments us. It controls our thoughts, destroys our lives, and it’s all we live for. Yet we almost never speak of it. And as a buried force in our lives, desire remains largely unexplored — until now. Over the past eight years, journalist Lisa Taddeo has driven across the country six times to embed herself with ordinary women from different regions and backgrounds. The result, Three Women, is the deepest nonfiction portrait of desire ever written and one of the most anticipated books of the year.
We begin in suburban Indiana with Lina, a homemaker and mother of two whose marriage, after a decade, has lost its passion. She passes her days cooking and cleaning for a man who refuses to kiss her on the mouth, protesting that "the sensation offends" him. To Lina’s horror, even her marriage counselor says her husband’s position is valid. Starved for affection, Lina battles daily panic attacks. When she reconnects with an old flame through social media, she embarks on an affair that quickly becomes all-consuming.
In North Dakota we meet Maggie, a seventeen-year-old high school student who finds a confidant in her handsome, married English teacher. By Maggie’s account, supportive nightly texts and phone calls evolve into a clandestine physical relationship, and he promises that they’ll skip school on her eighteenth birthday and make love all day. Instead, he breaks up with her on the morning he turns thirty. A few years later, Maggie has no degree, no career, and no dreams to live for. When she learns that this man has been named North Dakota’s Teacher of the Year, she steps forward with her story, turning their quiet community upside down.
Finally, in an exclusive enclave of the Northeast, we meet Sloane — a gorgeous, successful, and refined restaurant owner — who is happily married to a man who likes to watch her have sex with other men and women. He picks out partners for her alone or for a threesome, and she ensures that everyone’s needs are satisfied. For years, Sloane has been asking herself where her husband’s desire ends and hers begins. One day, they invite a new man into their bed — but he brings a secret with him that will finally force Sloane to confront the uneven power dynamics that fuel their lifestyle.
Literary Awards
Goodreads Choice Award Nominee For Nonefiction 2019
I would give this book 4.25*
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Reviewed in Canada on January 6, 2020Verified PurchaseUne enquête sur le désir féminin tel qu’il se présente chez trois femmes très différentes. L’exploration du discours intérieur en rapport avec le désir et la jouissance sexuelle est menée avec finesse et sans aucune censure. Il faut cependant franchir le premier tiers du livre pour vraiment s’intéresser aux personnages et à leur évolution, qui réserve des surprises.
- Reviewed in Canada on July 9, 2019Three Women is a true story based on the sex lives of three American women gained through a decade of vigilant reporting. Readers follows three women as they are faced with different challenges and issues within their sex lives. It is an intimate look at female desire in all its complexities.
Taddeo’s writing style mirrors that of a stream of consciousness technique. This style allows for Three Women to read as fiction as readers explore almost all aspects of these women’s lives. I enjoyed the narrative while simultaneously disliking it. I was able to jump into these women’s lives easily and sympathize with their plights. However, it made reading Three Women long and cumbersome. At times, there is too much detail slowing down the narratives.
Maggie becomes involved with her high school English teacher. Maggie’s story is heart wrenching and a prime example of misogyny, patriarchy, and the delicate balance of power teachers has over their high school students. Her story is hard to read as Taddeo outlines clearly the ways Maggie was groomed and manipulated. Rape comes in many different forms, not just penetration. Even though I criticized the writing style, it works perfectly for Maggie’s narrative as it conveys her innocence and the power imbalance.
Lina is in a sexless marriage. Her husband will not kiss her or engage in any sexual activity. Lina then becomes consumed in an affair that allows her own her sexuality and explore undiscovered parts of herself.
Sloan is part restaurant owner with her husband who happens to like watching her have sex with other men. Sloan explores her sexuality as she navigates the power imbalance between herself and her husband.
Overall, Three Women is an interesting take on nonfiction that reads like fiction. Taddeo isn’t here to hold your hand and make sure you understand the purpose of telling these women’s stories. Instead, they stand on their own and what you take from them varies.
Top reviews from other countries
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lauraReviewed in Italy on July 23, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Ordine arrivato nei tempi previsti
Verified PurchaseLibro assolutamente da leggere, ordine arrivato nei tempi
- Hayley WestwoodReviewed in the United Kingdom on September 1, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Three Women
Verified Purchase𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱, 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱. 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀. 𝗥𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀. 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀. 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲
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Three Women by Lisa Taddeo blew me away. Sometimes, non-fiction can be a little dry, but this novel that followed the stories and lives of these three women was so engaging and interesting it didn't feel like a typical non-fiction book.
I received this book through my BooksThatMatter subscription, but it was actually my younger brother who insisted that I read it, because of the impact that it had made on him to really understand these womens' points of view.
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𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀... 𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝘀𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝘁𝘆
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It is easy to regard these stories as those of unsatisfied women, who are unhappy in their lives or relationships for a reason. The temptation with any accounts like these is to respond in line with how patriarchies or power structures reinforce themselves, namely, to blame the women at the centre of the stories through fear of what we see in ourselves.
What happened to Maggie, Lina and Sloane could so easily happen to us, but we tell ourselves we know better, that they should have known better, and that it was a simple matter of making poor choices, when in reality this is so rarely the case.
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𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀, 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁-𝗼𝗳-𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗱
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The content and topic of female desire almost feels like a taboo. Even while reading this book, I paused at times, as I felt myself judging myself for enjoying the book. I caught myself wondering what my partner or others might think of me for saying I really did enjoy this novel, and that elements of the stories resonated with me across these three women. No doubt elements of the other women Taddeo interviewed would have resonated as well.
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𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻, 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗜'𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱, 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲... 𝗪𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘂𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱
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But that is a key point throught the book; we are the ones who uphold these structures and ideals that are indoctinated into us, and we allow them to continue, which means women cannot truly flourish. They are still servient beings, whether that service is domestic, sexual, or emotional.
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𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘁𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘁.
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I would encourage everyone to read this book, and I will definitely be re-reading it as well as checking out more of Taddeo's work. This feels like an incredibly important book for me that truly expresses what it means to be a woman. Though the specific stories and experiences are different we can all relate in some ways, and we should recognise the parts we can play in supporting and uplifting each other.
Everyone deserves to be loved and respected, not persued by predators, or blamed for being raped, or have the experiences of men masturbating in public or sending d*ck pics be so normalised when these experiences should be recognised for what they are: traumatic and abusive.
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𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗼 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻
- 鶹 Customer HMSReviewed in Australia on August 17, 2019
4.0 out of 5 stars A great read.
Verified PurchaseLoved this book for it's brutal honesty. I thought Maggie's story was one of the few accounts that really gave me insight into a teenage mind and that being taken advantage of but an older man. It was such a powerful story and one I will never forget. Easy to read and very compelling.
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Gloria ChavezReviewed in Mexico on March 3, 2022
4.0 out of 5 stars Es un buen libro, pero el tema es trillado.
Verified PurchaseEs un buen libro, narra la historia de tres mujeres que son engañadas, "pastoreadas" y abusadas por hombres.
Me gustó el libro lo único es que creo que hay una obsesión en la literatura femenina en este tema y la verdad es que llega un momento en que cansa.
- Julia VittóriaReviewed in Brazil on January 21, 2022
4.0 out of 5 stars Such an interesting book!
Verified PurchaseI love how this book is told by the mice point of view of the the author and the women but also gives voice to the version of them that was living the story (their past selves). It’s an incredible and interesting read. It took me a while to finish it because of the fact that flows a lot between all of their stories, every chapter belongs to a different one of the three women, and that was strange to me (strange, not bad). But after finishing it I can definitely say is an amazing book, one of my favorite non-fictional books, and it portraits so much the hardships of being a woman, even if you haven’t gone through the same situations as the three women portrayed, you can still relate so much to some of their struggles as a woman… definitely worth the read!